Firebender896 of Avatar: The Legend of Rokan
'Q:'What was your inspiration for creating Avatar: The Legend of Rokan? 'A: '''Well, I was aware that a lot of people had created original characters for Avatar, so I doodled out a picture of a Fire Nation girl called Lin next to a picture of Teo. I later made some sketches of her character design and renamed her Zoai, and later Rokan. The story just kind of flowed with the pictures. I later started writing an in depth character history, the background that you see on Rokan's character page, and that became the bones of LoR. ---- '''Q:'Did you ever expect for the Avatar: The Legend of Rokan get so popular when you first published it to the wikia. It has received a lot praise by great fanon Authors. 'A:'I had no idea that LoR would be so well recieved. I had hoped that it would become popular, but I never knew it would happen so quickly. I have legendary writers giving me compliments I never imagined that I would recieve and fans who eagerly ask for more chapters. I'm overwhelmed by the support and encouragement I've been given. It's a wonderful feeling. ---- 'Q:'So could you tell us a little about the antagonist of Avatar: The Legend of Rokan? 'A:'Oh, now that's an interesting subject. Originally, the main antagonist was just going to be Fire Lord Ozai. He would never make a real appearance in the story, but just be a motivation behind Rokan's actions against the war. However, it wasn't until LoR got reviewed by Omashu Rocks that I even considered throwing in a more important villain. I don't want to give too much away, as his character is still being developed, but here's a few points: His name is Zhensu, and he is an elite assassin. He's just been faced with a horrible tragedy, and the Fire Lord has convinced him that Rokan is the one who caused it to happen. Now he's doing the Fire Lord's will by hunting down Rokan, but he sees it as a more personal journey of revenge. Zhensu will hopefully become a villain who will be sympathized with; he's so distraught and blinded by rage and sadness that he almost doesn't know what he is doing. Sorry, I know that's a bit of a mouthful. XD ---- 'Q:'Avatar: The Legend of Rokan has recently just won the character development award given by the Fanon Review Squad. Could you tell other authors your secret of having good character development in a story. That's okay. I've just become excited to see Zhensu in your story. 'A:'That's a secret I'm not sure I know the answer to myself. I've always loved writing characters with inner struggles and dark pasts. A character's past is a really important part of the character, and helps decide how he/she might act in any given situation. I try hard to make my characters believable; they never stay on a straight path in their decisions, they make mistakes. A huge part of Rokan's character is her inner turmoil of opposing a war that was created by the Nation that she knows and loves. I guess my advice to other authors is, don't be afraid to get inside your character's head! Tell us what they're thinking and how they feel about the situations around them. ---- 'Q:'Avatar: The Legend of Rokan takes place during the 100 year war. Rokan her self stated that "You don't need to be the Avatar to bring justice to the world." So, will Rokan's actions in this story have a big impact on the war? 'A:'They won't be as dramatic as Aang taking down the Fire Lord. No, not that dramatic by a long shot. There will, however, be an instance in an upcoming chapter where her actions enable something to happen for the Gaang. Rokan's statement is meant to show that one person *can* have an impact on the world, no matter how small or large. But before she can bring justice to the world, she needs to figure out what "justice" really means. ---- 'Q:'Your drawings are a big part of your fanon. Many author's on the wikia have praised your writing and your drawings. Do you think in any way that your drawing also got more fans for Avatar: The Legend of Rokan. 'A:'I think so. I imagine that people see the newly uploaded photos and want to find out what page they came from. I hope that the illustrations give a more tangible sense to the fanon, and make it easier to envision. When I write and draw for the story, I imagine it as an episode. I think the drawings offer a pretty decent visual companion. I mean, who doesn't like picture books? I know as a reader I would always look for any sort of image in the book, whether it was a two page painting or those little sketches at the beginnings of the Harry Potter chapters. ---- 'Q:'Avatar: The Legend of Rokan has gotten about every award a fanon could want. So what goals do you have left for your fanon? Does include getting an award that is given in the Fanon Awards? 'A:'Oh, definitely. Call me an overachiever, but getting a Fanon Award for LoR will practically complete my life. I also view the "completed fanon" templates as little rewards. I really want to finish it, and I think I'll be able to. It will be the first long work I've ever completed. Getting LoR to Mike and Bryan has always been a dream of mine as well, but it's a little more intangible than the others. ---- 'Q:'What kind of readers do you think will want to read Avatar: The Legend of Rokan? 'A:'Everybody! Well, no...it's certainly not the fanon to read if you like princesses and happiness. I think people who enjoy deep character, action, and romance (yes, romance) will enjoy LoR. I hope it appeals to both guys and girls. I'm very inspired by Rick Riordan of the Percy Jackson series and Suzanne Collins of the Hunger Games series, so perhaps fans of their work will be interested in the fruits of the inspiration from their incredible talents. ---- Well the interviews over. This was my favorite interview so far. It was an honor to interview you.